I was cautious going into this book after seeing some mixed bag reviews, but this was the book for me. I really enjoyed Fix Her Up, but Rosie and Dominic. YES! So first, I briefly have to say that I identify with these characters and their marriage in some ways - Rosie loves cooking (me), Dom was in the military and deployed (my husband), they are middle school sweethearts (married my hs sweetheart - close), and they have always had chemistry throughout their relationship (same). I really appreciated the whole love languages thing that was brought up. The army did a couples "retreat" that Nick and I attended and we learned about the love languages and although it's still kind of that weird pseudoscience type junk, it also has some truth to it. Different people give and receive love in different ways. This story kinda broke my heart 20 million times. Idk if it's because I'm already emotional (thanks, period; thanks, husband is away for army training), but I teared up/cried multiple times during this story. It was SO heartbreaking at times. It was sweet in other instances and it had the perfect amount of smut in my opinion and the smut was ON POINT. Of course, there were a few things that were cheesy and the pet names still aren't really my thing, but I can forgive those slight things because I loved seeing this marriage implode and Rosie & Dom work to save it. Also, I so loved the curly hair stuff mentioned because same, Rosie. Same. I'm dying for book 3 that will follow Bethany. There's no real news other than Fall 2020 and I AM READY.

Love Her or Lose Her is quite a good second-chance romance. It's a sweet story about a married couple who need to find their way back to each other. I really enjoyed this story and ALMOST gave it four stars, but I wish I had seen a little more story and a little less sex. This book is probably half and half. A good sexy scene can be great, but I really wanted to see Dominic open up more. He gets there in the end, but it takes awhile.
There's a lot of drama in this story. These two face so many issues. Well it's one issue with each of them, but they comes up in various ways throughout the plot. If you like several points of tension that build and resolve back and forth through the story, I say you should definitely give this book a shot. I really enjoy this Hot and Hammered series from Tessa Bailey.

It took me a while to get used to the structure of this book. It wasn’t your typical romance structure but the author’s smooth writing style helped ease the transition. I thought the pacing of this novel was really excellent but I wish the author had used the therapy sessions to provide a tighter structure.

I was very impressed with all the supporting characters and loved that this book portrayed a working class couple. I liked Rosie but never warmed to Dom. I thought his revelation about Rosie came too late in the book. I was also not very pleased with how paternalistic he was even in regards to his grand gesture. He gave Rosie to other people instead of realizing she wasn’t his to give. The narrative really robbed Rosie of her agency. Great writing and great structure were let down by the main couple.

Let’s start this review by reminding everyone that if books were thai food I’d generally order mine “mild.” A well-written and meaningful sex scene brings so much to a book. Unfortunately, I find that well-written and meaningful sex scenes are few and far between. Particularly in this genre.

This was the story of a marriage on the rocks. The only thing still working was the sex. So every few pages the heroine had pointy, tightened nipples and sopping thighs (thighs?!?!?) to remind us that the sex was so so good. I guess. It feels like a book where the heroine soaks her panties when her hyper-possessive husband looks at her is alienating and nearly farcical by the 8th or 9th “squirm” or “pulse.”

Also - just being nit picky but “honey girl” doesn’t work as a nickname. It yanks me out of the story when I’m already struggling amidst all the moisture. And it feels degrading. Also, “Wife” lacked charm the first time. By the last it was nigh infuriating.

As always - thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to offer an honest review.

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Rosie and Dominic Vega were high school sweethearts and got married when when he enlisted. They’ve always been each others best friend able to talk about anything and their chemistry? It sizzles! Ever since Dominic came back from Afghanistan their relationship has changed. They don’t talk as much, living together as husband and wife but except for their once a week sex-date not interacting. Rosie is heartbroken but wants to move on and start living out her dream and feels like Dominic isn’t going to stand beside her and help her accomplish them. She asks for a divorce and is surprised by how vehemently Dominic wants to make things work. So she comprises by going to last chance couples therapy. Love Her or Lose Her is a love story that puts communication first while still delivering the heat.

I really liked the premise of this novel and after reading Fix Her Up and liking it a lot, was confident Tessa Bailey would deliver a good story. Did she? Well, yes and no. I was really conflicted and my emotions were all over the place.

What I liked: I really liked Rosie. She obviously loved Dominic a lot but wasn’t going to settle for less than what she thought she deserved from her husband. She was confident, sassy, and her cooking sounded amazing. Seriously, I got hungry for cuban food reading this novel! What I also liked about Rosie was that when she realized she should take part of the blame in their failed marriage, she did…and felt horrified by it. I also liked her friends. Georgie was our heroine in Fix Her Up and she was just as charming in this novel, and Bethany, Georgie’s sister, who will star in her own novel next. Their sisterhood and support system were amazing and I had a lot of fun reading about that group.

What I didn’t like: I’m just going to say it.. Dominic. I usually like an alpha male, but this guy had way too much testosterone. Whew! His old fashioned attitude about what makes a good marriage definitely needed to be brought up to date. The heat between the two of them was crazy hot, but the way he spoke to her during those hot moments, for me, was a complete turn off. I hated his moniker for her… gosh, I’ve blacked it out of my mind, I think it was honey girl? Every time he said it, I just cringed. It seemed like the author was trying way too hard. Would such a taciturn guy really start calling her this name only when they had sex? To me, it was just weird.

So, the fact I didn’t care for half the couple wasn’t a good sign. However, I did like how going to therapy made them open up and see things in each other and in themselves. That, and Rosie’s character elevating their coupledom out of the trash heap with her genuine likability? I gave Lover Her or Lose Her a 3 rating, which on my scale is average. I like this author but I think she missed the mark on this couple. ❤️❤️❤️

I received a free copy of this ARC for my honest review and it was honest!

I was really looking forward to Rosie and Dominic’s story! Romances with married couples are few and far between and we need more if they’re anything like this one! This story was filled with so much heartfelt emotion. I definitely found myself in tears quite a few times. And call me old fashioned, but I love Dominic’s caveman style. Give me allll the heroes just like him. I really enjoyed the way these two worked through their problems and figured out their issues. It was gut wrenching at times and super sexy at others. This was such a fresh, unique story; I couldn’t get enough. Plus I loved the set up happening between Wes and Bethany and I can’t wait for their book.

Love Her or Lose Her is the second book in Tessa Bailey’s Hot & Hammered series. A love story about a marriage on the rocks and about growing into who you were always meant to be, this novel is fun, sweet, intense and heartwarming. It stands very well on its own; Georgie and Travis from Fix Her Up, book one in the series, make frequent appearances here but you don’t need to have read their story to appreciate this one.

When a man flirts with her at work, faithfully married Rosie Vega makes a startling discovery – no one has made her feel admired in a long time. In fact, when she stops to think about it, no one has even made her feel seen in years. Her husband Dominic barely grunts at her when she gets home from work, much less talks to her. He never waits to eat dinner with her or invites her to watch TV with him. Even the physical side of the relationship is messed up. They have sex on a schedule – hot and passionate sex every Tuesday night, completely devoid of affection like it’s a booty call with a stranger. This is Tuesday night but that minor flirtation with a stranger has made Rosie determined that she won’t be doing anything but packing a suitcase and walking out the door once she gets home.

That’s exactly what she does: She tells a startled Dominic that she’s done, packs a bag and goes to her friend Bethany’s. But Dominic isn’t ready to give up on their marriage, so he starts dropping by her new abode to drop off the coat she forgot, or to warm her car up in the morning, and talking to her at the gym where they both work out and urging her to come home. In fact, he talks to her more at the gym in a few short minutes than he has in several years previously. Rosie does want to go back – but back to what they were when they were first together, not what they are now. She’s not sure they can change, but the desperation in Dominic’s voice has her agreeing to give him one more chance to make things right. She concedes they need marriage counseling and then deliberately chooses a therapist who is the opposite of what Dominic would want. She’s fairly confident that when Dominic gets a look at the weed smoking hippie with pillows rather than chairs in his office, he’ll walk out and that will tell her exactly what she needs to know; that Dominic isn’t willing to do whatever it takes to get them back on track.

Dominic surprises her. He not only sits through the initial session, he does the follow up homework. Having been told to write a letter expressing his feelings, he pens a note telling her how he felt taking her to the high school Homecoming dance their senior year – and how sorry he is that he doesn’t make her feel cherished every day. It’s a good start, but will love notes and therapy sessions on fluffy cushions really be enough to put this marriage back together?

I love how this relationship is depicted. Rosie and Dominic are not unkind to each other, nor are they emotionally indifferent. They love each other. The problem is that they have been taking each other for granted, making zero effort to connect in any way. Rosie works evenings in retail, while Dominic works during the day in construction. They do everything separately and don’t even greet each other when they cross paths. It’s not until they start counseling that they realize how thoroughly they’ve been neglecting each other.

The fact that both have been neglectful rather than cruel made it easy for me to root for Rosie and Dominic both as individuals and as a couple. The two of them have been together since their early teens and know each other very well. That familiarity, along with the fact that they’ve been together over a decade, had led them to a situation where they see each other as fixtures rather than living, breathing people with hopes, dreams and feelings. I loved how Rosie realized she needed more from life and began to pursue it. I adore a heroine who takes charge of her own destiny. Dominic’s a hard-working, quiet, considerate man whose main goal in life is to make Rosie happy. His problem was that he thought he could do that by copying his parent’s marriage but it turned out that wasn’t what was best for his own relationship. Once the counselor shows him why what he’s doing is wrong, he begins to make the changes he needs to make to fix his marriage. The fact that both Rosie and Dominic cherish each other enough to really work through the situation was wonderful and I really appreciated that the bulk of the story was about learning to be a team, building a genuine rapport and connecting. Too often romances try to sell instalust as love. That doesn’t happen here; we get an in-depth look at what each character is feeling and thinking and then get to see them interacting and building emotional intimacy. That gave me all the feels.

This story was building towards DIK status but it ran into some snags at the end. What had been a fairly serious – but still fun and enjoyable – love story develops a case of what I call ‘the sillies’ towards the end. Rather than just providing us with a reunited Rosie and Dominic, the author pulls out all the stops and has every possible dream come true for the couple. In some novels this would have been a good ending but since this story was all about working on your relationship and working for your dreams, having everything go magically right in the last few chapters felt a bit – much. I would have preferred a more realistic ending that was in keeping with the story the author had been telling all along.

That is a minor flaw, though, and doesn’t happen until near the end of Love Her or Lose Her. And frankly, if the author was going to make any mistake, that is the perfect one to make in a genre known for happy endings. I think fans of the author will be very pleased with this book and readers who love stories about an emotionally intimate relationship should rush out and buy it. They will find a lot to love here.

Rosie and Dominic were high school sweethearts who got married before he went to serve our country in Afghanistan. He came home different and Rosie has not been happy in their marriage, she doesn’t feel seen and heard, their relationship is just physical and not emotional. Dominic is a blue collar guy from a working class family and his dad showed love by providing for his family and that is all Dominic knows, he is taken aback when Rosie leaves. Dominic is loves Rosie deeply and agrees to couples therapy with a very untraditional therapist.

Why I Loved This Book: My husband is a lot like Dominic. He loves me, but he doesn’t always know how to show it. Tessa Bailey did an amazing job writing Dominic’s character, she really got inside the head of a guy who was raised to believe that you show your love by providing and that is all you need to do. There is one part where Rosie realizes that it takes two to tango and that she had a part in how their marriage fell apart; I FELT what Rosie was feeling, nerves and anxiety and I realized that sometimes I am full of complaints for my husband, but I too, have some flaws. That night my girls were out and I asked my husband what I do that I annoys him and he told me - I am organized with my time, but I don’t always organize things like our china cabinet or storage closets the way he would like. I didn’t take it personally, I took it constructively and if he’d like to reorganize the china cabinet and storage closets, he can have at it!

So I will admit that when I read Fix Her Up last year about Travis and Georgie, a former baseball player and a clown, I laughed out loud quite a bit, even though I found the story a little childish and at times random with the whole Just Us League start up etc. That said, I enjoyed it as a romantic comedy enough that I was very excited about the next book in the series featuring Rosie and Dominic, especially since they were both characters of colour AND two they were both already married and this was going to be a second chance at love, marriage rehab-type book. It was everything I thought I would love and what do you know, I DID really like it!

I think this was less laugh out loud funny than Fix Her Up but it was also a lot less silly and a lot more of a mature love story. The premise is that ever since Dominic returned from war in Afghanistan, he’s become a strong, silent type and he and the once love of his life, Rosie, barely even communicate beyond once a week sex. Rosie has been feeling neglected emotionally for years and unappreciated and she’s incredibly unhappy. She decides she can’t take it anymore and chooses to leave the marriage. This is a story about the work that is needed to keep a marriage going and to make a marriage work. I loved that in a romance-land world where we read books in which entire relationships and happily ever after are built on sexual compatibility, this book showed that good sex is not enough for a HEA and love is not enough either- there needs to be effort to communicate and understand each other as well. And I found that both very unique and interesting and incredibly sexy about this book. The sexual tension in this is at a million degrees.

Some of the downsides, I would say, are that obviously Dominic has some unresolved trauma issues about his time in Afghanistan that aren’t fully dealt with here. Also, it’s easy to look at Dominic and Rosie and judge and feel like they didn’t have significant marital problems, but the author does an excellent job outlining Rosie’s hopelessness in her marriage at the beginning in a way that I think will be very relatable to anyone who’s ever felt “is this marriage even worth continuing.” Of course, also, some may find that their marital problems were solved a little to easily, although I would counter this with the fact that from observation, lack of communication is often a major factor in situations where neither party just sucks as a human being. I really liked the use of the 5 Love Languages methodology- it is definitely true that we all have different ways we understand love and how it’s communicated and that exploration within these 2 characters made this feel like a stronger love story.

I also enjoyed the continued exploration of female friendships and female support groups through the Just Us League. I felt like it felt less silly and more like a group I wanted to be a part of in this book. Does this book have the most feminist and empowering message to women, no. But I think it’s message is real and relatable. Sometimes you just want to feel supported by and encouraged by the most important person in your life- whatever that looks like to you, and love and work are always worth the effort to get that. I really liked this one. It had a lot of depth for being so fluffy and I’m super excited for the next book in this series. I’m also hopeful that Stephen and Kristin get a book too because I definitely see opportunity for that as well. I’m loving this series and am super great fun to Avon and Harper Collins through NetGalley for an advanced look at this. Highly recommend if you like romance novels about married couples or are interested in an uplifting book about healing a broken marriage.

4 1/2 Second Chance Stars!

I was excited to read Love Her or Lose Her and get Rosie and Dominic's story. We got a taste of their chemistry in Fix Her Up and I was more than ready to see them tackle their marital issues. I couldn't have been cheering harder for a couple to succeed! They battled through a good portion of the story though. Their communication skills were definitely lacking. Especially in Dominic's case. He didn't use words, he used actions and often they were thoughtful gestures but were done without recognition.

Watching these two battle against the odds to work through their problems and find their way back to each other made for a touching story. In addition, I really enjoyed the interactions with their friends. They had a great support system of people watching out for them,

I really liked that this book was a different take on romance. Instead of portraying what it's like to meet and fall in love, it dealt with what it's like to try to fall back in love. It was heartbreaking at times to watch them stumble through the process. However, when they had success, nothing could have been more spectacular.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this companion novel to Fix Her Up. Rosie and Dominic are married, but they have been going through the motions ever since he got back from Afghanistan. Rosie is fed up and tired of being unhappy, so she makes the decision to leave her husband. He wants her back and to her immense surprise, he agrees to go to marriage counseling to see if they can save their marriage. I thought Rosie and Dominic had amazing chemistry. That was not the problem. I did think Dominic was a likable, but frustrating, character. It was so frustrating to see him do nice things for his wife in secret and to think that she didn't need anything but his paycheck. I loved how stubborn Rosie was and how willing she was to put her own happiness first, for once. It was nice seeing her finally go after her dream of owning a restaurant. I thought this author did a great job of showing these two people slowly let down their guards to each other and try to work on their marriage. Marriage is tough and these people were willing to put in the work to fix it. I also liked that Rosie started to acknowledge what role she played in the breakdown of their marriage. Yes, Dominic was cold and distant after coming back from Afghanistan, but Rosie played her part as well.

So what didn't I like about this one? Well, it was a bit annoying that Rosie got turned on about EVERYTHING Dominic said and did. I thought the author went overboard with that. For example, Dominic wrote Rosie a letter to explain how he felt about her. This was homework right after joining therapy. Even though there was NOTHING sexual in the letter, Rosie was so turned on she couldn't see straight. Oy. Also, I was so incredibly frustrated with Dominic's decision to keep the secret from Rosie. I won't give away any spoilers, but I just wanted to strangle him for continuing to lie to her.

All in all, this was a great read and I am really looking forward to the next novel in this series.

Not going to lie, I was a little scared to read a romance about two people trying to put back together a marriage that’s been falling apart for years. But I trusted Tessa Bailey to do it so, so right—and she delivered.

Really. In the space of one scene I went from tears trickling down my face to hysterical giggling. Rosie and Dom are an absolute delight, as are all our favorite characters from the town at large. There was something about this couple’s quiet hurts that I found really resonated with me.

Love Her or Lose Her is funny, deeply emotional, impossibly sweet, and—obviously—extremely sexy. I adored it.

*Thank you to HarperCollins Publishing and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

I'm surprised that I loved this book as much as I did. I was not a fan of book one in the series, Fix Her Up, it just didn't work for me. However, I am glad that I gave Bailey another chance because this book was wonderful. I loved that it centers around a married couple, Dominic and Rosie, and the problems that arise after years of being a couple. They want to save their marriage instead of calling it quits; I appreciate their commitment to each other in working together to repair their marriage. Many of the problems portrayed in this book are ones that married couples face. It was nice to read about these issues being explored in a honest, realistic way. I was rooting for them the entire way through. I should also mention the steam factor, Bailey was not shy in giving us the hot scenes. All in all, a relatable and enjoyable read.

Thank you to HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

Tessa Bailey is quickly becoming one of my favorite steamy romance authors! I loved this book, Love Her or Lose Her, following Dominic and Rosie. After meeting these characters in Fix Her Up, Bailey’s previous book, I was excited to learn more about their relationship. Rosie and Dom have such an intense chemistry, it’s so much fun to read. And honestly, I wanted to try her Argentinian food because it was described so deliciously in the book.

5 stars to Tessa Bailey and her novel, Love Her or Lose Her. I can’t wait to read more from her!

Dominic and Rosie are high school sweethearts. After they married, Dominic left to go overseas and serve his country. Their relationship struggle during his time away, and when he came back, they didn't find their original footing. After years of living with a stranger, Rosie decided to leave her husband. This was just the wake up Dominic needed to realize things had to change.

After reading Fix Her Up, I was really intrigued about Dominic and Rosie's relationship. Usually romance novels are about the meeting and falling in love, whereas this one is about a married couple on the rocks.

You follow Rosie and Dominic as they finally come to terms that their marriage isn't perfect and they need to make some changes. After Rosie leaves Dominic, she suggests they go to marriage counseling, thinking there's no way Dominic will say yes, but he does! They meet with this strange, hippy counselor and do some intimate, strange activities to work through their problems.

Overall, I did enjoy the book. I found their problems to be pretty relatable, they got in this routine and forgot to spice it up and DATE and COMMUNICATE. I feel these are very common mistakes that happen in marriages everyday. I did become frustrated with both of them, for their secrets and lack of communication. I just wanted to scream at them to stop being so stubborn!!

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

4 Stars / 3 Steam Fans

I enjoyed this next book in the Hot & Hammered Series because it deals with a topic that is not usually talked about in contemporary romance. Married couple Rosie and Dominic are at a low point in their marriage where they decide that it is time to let things go. However, neither of them wants to let go of the love that they have, so this is their journey to find out if love is worth the fight. I did feel like there were a few topics that were introduced into the journey that was not resolved or explored, but overall there was a lightness, strength, and sexiness that connected Rosie and Dominic's journey to things that happen during real-life marriages.

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I wanted to LOVE this as much as I loved Fix Her Up and this book just fell short for me!! I was a little disappointed truth be told. It just didn’t live up to my expectations or Fix Her Up.

Fix Her Up was such a great read unfortunately this one didn't come close to hitting that same mark. It was oh so steamy but I just couldn’t connect with Dominic and Rosie. It lacked overall plot and / or twist for me. If you’re looking for a second chance romance, definitely give it a try. I hope you enjoy it. For me it was just alright. I definitely needed a little more from Dominic and Rosie.

Thank you Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I’m shocked that I enjoyed this as much as I did. Book one in series, Fix Her Up, was...not my favorite. Didn’t love the couple together, didn’t really like the male lead at all, didn’t like the gratuitous use of “baby girl” as a pet name. (FIFTY-TWO TIMES.)

Another strike against Love Her or Lose Her is that it centers on an already married couple whose marriage is ending. Cheery, huh? And also not something I think of myself as enjoying.

So it’s a bit of a miracle that I read this one at all. But I read the synopsis and was intrigued. So much so that I requested an arc.

Dominic and Rosie are amazing together. So believable. I don’t think anyone could deny their passion for each other. They have, however, fallen into a terrible rut. They don’t talk. They don’t share their feelings. They don’t know anything about each other’s lives anymore. The only element of their marriage still standing is the physical. Whoo, boy. They are still going strong in the department.

What I loved most about Dominic and Rosie’s story is how much they both grow and evolve over the course of the book. Especially Dom. Some negative reviews I’ve read complain about how “alpha” he is. And that’s true. He was raised by extremely traditional parents. Especially his father. And so, as a husband, he believes his role is to provide, to protect, and to never ever ever show weakness or emotion. Which is, of course, exactly what Rosie needs him to do.

Dominic is a lesson in toxic masculinity. It was heartbreaking to watch him wrestle with his feelings and self-perceived “weaknesses.” Fortunately, he thoroughly and convincingly changes for the better. Both his and Rosie's stubbornness was frustrating, but believable.

Side note: this one also features a ridiculous pet name (honey girl) ((eww)) but it’s less frequent and, thus, less hideous than in the first book.


So glad I didn’t give up on this series and gave Rosie and Dom a go.

4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an advance copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

So I might have been in the minority in that I really liked the first book in this series and I was hoping I would like this one just as well. I had a hard time connecting to this couple, probably because it's not a storyline I can connect with since I've never been married and dealt with the issues that can spring up in a long term relationship. I did start to love Rosie more, she was a little bit of a sad-sack in Fix Her Up. Seeing her relationship and the world through her perspective and her relationship in this book I could understand her better. I like Dominic okay, I think the character arc was believable and the relationship and issues seemed so as well. I love the supporting characters and wished we had more interactions with them -- although sometimes I found myself caring more for the supporting characters than the main couple. Overall, I think it was a strong addition to the series as a building-block to the next book in the series.

Childhood sweethearts Rosie and Dominic married nearly ten years ago before Dominic's first deployment overseas. They used to spend hours just talking and sharing their hopes and dreams for their future, but over time, the talk has fizzled out. To the point where they practically live in silence - except for their routine sexytimes on Tuesdays.

Then one day Rosie has decided she's had enough. She's tired of being silent, she's tired of putting her dreams on hold for no reason. So she leaves.

But Rosie and Dominic's relationship is built on a foundation of true undeniable love. Neither one really wants to see the marriage end. When Dominic agrees to marriage counselling, both Rosie and Dominic will learn what the other needs in order to salvage their marriage.

When they think progress is being made and they can move forward, could a long-kept secret by Dominic bring things crumbling down?

I think I can honestly say that Love Her or Lose Her is the rare romance I've read tackling issues within a marriage where the people are still together. Typically they're either already divorced for years and find their way back to one another or they're just divorced. I liked seeing the work Rosie and Dominic put into their marriage, that they put into the problems in their marriage to try to fix what is broken. I loved that Tessa Bailey gives readers both sides of the coin. The story is told from both Rosie and Dominic's point of view and you can see where each played a part in how their marriage has gotten to the point it's in at the beginning. Although I will say that Dominic is painted as more of the problem with his inability to open up to Rosie. It's something that has long-reaching consequences, but by the end I don't feel like we truly figure out why Dominic slowly closed himself off to Rosie. Was is things he saw overseas? His upbringing? Is it the fact that they've been together for so long? All of these are kind of batted around as possibly reasons, but I never felt like we get down to the actual source. Likewise with Rosie. I don't know if it's supposed to be a little superfluous or vague enough that readers can see themselves in and more clearly identify with the characters so form that connection. If it's a commentary on how marriages - relationships in general - are constant work. That once you slack off in putting in the effort the results will never be good. Part of me sees this and agrees, but part of me wanted just a little more out of Rosie and Dominic fixing their problems.

I didn't read the first book in the series and for all intents and purposes you don't really have to, but I do wonder if, as secondary characters, we see a little more of the marriage problems creeping up in Rosie and Dominic's relationship before where we start at the beginning of their own story. Based on how the other secondary characters are featured in this one, I'm going to assume that's a yes.

Speaking of, Tessa Bailey had a few great sparking moments between a couple of said secondary characters that has completely ensnared me into needing to read the next book when it's available.

Love Her or Lose Her is the first book I've read by Tessa Bailey and for all that I think it's supposed to be more light-hearted, I thought the seriousness of dealing with a broken marriage was well done. The fact that sometimes love may not be enough is startling, but that just means you have to fight harder for it if it's truly important.